Tirónar
Tirónar is a continent in the northeastern hemisphere of the Mortal Realm. While not technically a part of the same landmass, the islands surrounding this continent are also considered part of Tirónar. Within this continent are these countries: * Borrike * Duilintinn * Fasithe * Grancinco * Haneul * Halennor * The Island League * Lantraeth * Leyfel * Tandeli History Prior to the Waldren Occupation, Tirónar was completely undiscovered by the civilizations of other continents for centuries almost entirely due to the islands off its eastern coastline. That’s an oversimplification, but that’s the gist of it. There are hundreds of islands scattered throughout the Eastern Sea. Most of them are just rocky, long-dead volcanoes; others are surrounded by a constantly changing array of barrier islands. At one point in history, these islands and the storms that often appeared around them were nearly impossible to navigate by any ships of the time. Eventually, ship-making got better, allowing some ships to pass through the islands to the continent without running aground on a surprise outcropping or sandbar at the push of a stormy gale. This allowed Waldren to arrive, ushering in the Occupation Era. But before that, the continent was almost entirely untouched by outside civilizations except by those who lived within. Name Origin The people of Duilintinn call their continent Tirónar, which roughly translates to “land alone” or “lonely land” and originates from the Feadhainn language. There are a few reasons why I picked this name, the most basic being that the continent is very isolated geographically from the rest of the world. However, there’s also thematic reasoning behind it. There’s something deeply ironic about how Duilintinn, a kingdom so focused on connection and belonging, is found within a continent called “lonely.” However, it also makes a lot of sense. Prior to Duilintinn’s founding, the region has had a long history of isolation (or lack thereof). Feadhainn was a very isolated and insular culture (look at all of those massive, impenetrable, often windowless circular towers!) before Waldren un-isolated the whole thing against their will. When Waldren left, the people immediately went back to clustering in communities of people similar to them, and valuing the safety of what’s familiar over the benefits of change. And while King Sean sought to break down those barriers and bring the people together by founding Duilintinn, that tendency towards isolation does still echo through her culture today. You could argue that the house system is basically just another form of associating yourself with like-minded people, even if that same system also encourages growth and openness to find who those people are, instead of just stubbornly staying in the community you initially got stuck in. For all that Duilintinn touts growth and self-discovery and changing to become the best version of who you were always meant to be, the underlying currents of that cultural isolation and insularity still remain. Having the continent be literally called a “land alone” is a constant, tangible reminder of the lonely history that Duilintinn is trying to move beyond. After all, it’s a lot easier to recognize that past ideas and beliefs aren’t always right than it is to completely uninternalize them.